


With Golden String

by Sillus



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Children, Cute, F/M, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Nightmares, Parents, SAPPINESS IN GENERAL, SO MUCH FLUFF, Sappy Ending, Siblings, Snow, Song Lyrics, Stars, Teaching, not throughout the fic, semi song fic, so cute, stories, this is a MONSTER of a fic but it was SO WORTH IT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 15:50:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20410336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sillus/pseuds/Sillus
Summary: When he finally opens the door, Malon is lying in the bed, propped up by the absurd amount of pillows Time had wrangled into the house beforehand. She looks up from the bundle in her arms and gives him an amused, but sweet, smile. Time carefully sits down beside her, giving her a kiss as he situates himself.





	With Golden String

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man.  
This is probably my favorite fic I've written yet. I'm proud of all my work, but this one takes the cake.  
I hope you enjoy!

Time watches as Sky looks up in wonder, his hands reaching up to catch the thousands of tiny white specks floating through the air. He can’t help the smile that slowly spreads across his face as Sky lets out a small laugh.

“What is this stuff?” He asks in such a soft and gentle voice, the warmth that swells in Time’s chest in response chases away any lingering chill settling in his bones.

“That, my friend, is what we call snow,” Time replies. Sky tears his gaze away from the snowflakes to look at Time instead.

“Snow?”

With a chuckle, Time motions for Sky to follow him, lest they stray too far from the rest of their group. It was quite a shock to land in the middle of snow-covered mountains, but luckily, Twilight had immediately recognized their surroundings and knew how to safely navigate the environment. He leads the party now, Four sitting on his shoulders and _very_ unhappy about his predicament. Warriors has done the same with Wind, wrapping the scarf around both his neck and lower face, and Wind’s head like a hood. They were simply too small to effectively navigate the terrain, not to mention that Four was incredibly thin and easily susceptible to the cold.

“When the air is too cold for rain, the droplets freeze and create snowflakes,” Time explains, “They clump together like this and cover everything they land on.”

“I have never heard of this phenomenon before,” Sky chirps, eyes twinkling with a curiosity that Time hasn’t felt in years. To simply want to _learn_, for no other reason but to satisfy a query…

Time smiles, and he imagines it’s as soft as Sky’s voice. “You never experienced it in your own time period?”

Sky shakes his head with a chuckle, “No. Skyloft is above the clouds, and the ecosystems below are all rather warm.”

“So warm, not even the seasons will allow for at least a little snow?”

“Well, considering one of the environments is a forest, one is a volcano, and one is a desert, I don’t think the air will ever get cold enough for snow in my lifetime,” Sky laughs, and Time nods in understanding, his smile growing into a smirk.

“Well, we can’t let that slide now, can we?”

“What do you mean?” That curious spark in back in his eyes. Perfect.

“Well,” Time begins, scooping up a handful of snow, “There are many things you can do with snow. One of them is a special technique of mine.”

Sky leans in close as Time shapes his handful of snow into a ball, giving it a few extra pats for good measure so it didn’t fall apart before he could use it. “Watch closely,” Time murmurs. Sky nods, eyes focusing on Time’s every move. He can’t help but be amused at how seriously Sky is taking this. It’s not like he knows any better, but it still brings a smile to Time’s face.

He takes a moment to figure out where to aim, and with a small _aha,_ he chucks the snowball at the back of Wild’s head. Wild lets out a loud, surprised squawk, whipping around with a glare. His eyes land on Hyrule.

“Hyrule!” He yells, reaching behind his head to attempt to dig the rapidly melting snow out of his hood. Unfortunately, this only results in the snow dripping down the back of Wild’s tunic, earning a _squeak_ from him as he arches his back in an effort to avoid the icy substance. From the look of things, it doesn’t work.

“Wait,” Hyrule responds, holding his hands up, “that wasn’t—”

Hyrule doesn’t get a chance to finish. Wild charges him, and with a yelp, Hyrule takes off running, stumbling over the thick snow. Wild catches up to him in seconds, tackling Hyrule to the ground and grappling with him in the snow. Hyrule shouts in protest, shrieking when Wild abruptly shoves a giant handful of snow down the back of Hyrule’s tunic. Everyone stops to watch, laughing at the scene while Hyrule yells for help.

Sky turns to Time with a hand covering his mouth. “That’s _cruel_.”

Time shrugs. “Surely not! It’s not like _I_ placed the blame on Hyrule myself. Wild simply jumped to his own conclusion.”

“What else can you do with snow?” Sky asks after a short pause. While the others are still laughing at Wild and Hyrule, Time smirks.

“For one, you can sled down hills covered in it. Wait until we get to one and I’ll get Warriors to show you.”

“You’re not gonna shove him down the hill, are you?” Sky asks, but he doesn’t look too concerned—more giddy and mischievous.

“I make no promises,” Time replies, feeling mischievous himself. “But there’s also…”

* * *

Time blinks, frowns, blinks again, reaches up with his free hand to rub at his good eye, blinks _again_, and finally settles on staring Four down with one eyebrow raised. Four stands in his other hand, and Time can see him duck his head with a small, nervous smile.

Though maybe using small there is redundant, considering the fact that Four is currently tinier than Time’s pinkie finger, and rather short to begin with.

See, Time had decided to take a walk around the Kakariko Village of Legend’s time, wanting to be aware of his surroundings and wanting to clear his head, when he saw Four jump onto an upside-down pot and disappear in a flash of light. Seeing as how it is currently the middle of the night, Time thought the worst and immediately ran over, trying to find any residue magic or a portal or _something_ that could tell him where Four had gone. However, when he had lifted up the pot, he found their smallest hero even _smaller_.

Time has seen a lot of things in his life, but this is a first.

“I can explain!” Four shouts from the palm of his hand, his voice _tiny_, “But first, you gotta replace the pot and then put me down!”

With an amused shake of his head, Time does what Four says. He lets Four hop off his hand when he lowers it and puts the pot back exactly how he found it. Four makes his way inside it through some crevice invisible to Time’s eye, and in another flash of light, Four launches up in the air from the hole in the bottom of the pot and grows to his normal size, left to stand on the pot with his face flushed pink in embarrassment.

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” he mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Well, I saw it. You said you were going to explain?”

Four hops down, wringing his hands and shuffling his feet. “Well…” He mumbles uncertainly, avoiding Time’s gaze.

Four has always kept a tight lid of his pile of secrets. Both him and Legend have hardly ever shared anything about themselves and their adventures with the others. Time doesn’t know why, but he does know that not all topics are comfortable for everyone. There is a reason why Four and Legend are so secretive. There is a reason why _he _is so secretive.

Time claps a hand on Four’s shoulder, mindful of his small stature. “If you don’t wish to talk about this, it’s fine. My goal here was to make sure you were okay.”

Four looks up at him, and Time can see little, bright red specks in his eyes. Four considers him for a moment, then, with a decisive nod to himself, says, “Actually, I think talking to you would only benefit the both of us.”

“Is that so?” Time replies, turning to follow Four when he strolls past him. “What makes you say that?”

Four turns back to face him, giving Time a look that seems to pierce his soul. A _knowing_ look, and yet, Time doesn’t feel put off by it—despite the red specks in those blue eyes.

“Because one day,” Four replies, almost affectionate, “You might have someone special to pass my story on to.” He then smiles, all traces of the red disappearing from his eyes. “That, and I get to gush about my pride and joy.”

“A good reason,” Time chuckles, but his mind whirls. _What does he mean by someone special? Malon? But he would have said her name._

They take a few minutes to simply wander around the village, sightseeing and getting a feel for the layout of the land. Four takes a deep breath after a comfortable silence has passed between them, and begins, well, _gushing. _Four had not been joking, it seems. He tells Time about the Minish, the stories surrounding them, how he helped them, and how he had been so excited to see one of the Gateways in Legend’s Hyrule.

And throughout the entire thing, Four’s eyes gleam with pride and Time pays attention to every little detail, completely hooked and unbearably curious to know more. The Minish are a completely unfamiliar topic for him, even though he is very certain that he is the hero after Four in their haphazardly planned timeline. Then again, Time grew up in a secluded forest and spent most of his time with Malon after his adventuring days.

“And they can only be seen by children?” Time inquires as they make their third lap around the perimeter of the village. Four nods.

“That’s _if _they want to be seen,” he replies. “They’re a rather shy race. Very friendly, but they like to do their business in secret. There are exceptions, me included, but the typical cut-off age is sixteen years-old.”

To be honest, this explains _so much_. Time had always found an abundance of treasure in the grass, ranging from rupees to bombs, as concerning as that is. His wounds had always healed rather quickly, and he always had extra medical supplies and his clothes seemed to mend themselves.

“I’m guessing it just now clicked for you?” Four asks, reveling in Time’s moment of realization.

“It makes an absurd amount of sense,” Time mutters, and Four laughs.

“They saved me so many times,” He says. “They’re little more than a myth in my time, but we celebrate them every year in Hyrule Castle Town. It’s a shame that they’ve been forgotten.”

“Well, I’m a bit of a special case,” Time replies. “I grew up in a forest and did my adventuring young. I spent the majority of my youth with Malon.”

“Come now, Time, you’ve got a couple decades yet until you’re the old man we say you are,” Four snickers.

Time chuckles. “I suppose so. Got any other tales?”

* * *

Legend is trembling, his hands gripping his blanket so hard his knuckles are white. His eyes move under his eyelids, and a grunt escapes him. Time, who is currently on watch, debates on whether or not he should wake Legend up from his dream. Like Four, Legend is very secretive, and he does not take kindly to people butting into his business when he doesn’t want them to.

However, Time doesn’t take kindly to nightmares, and this extends beyond himself.

When Legend lets out a small cry, his mind is made up. He strides over to Legend’s side and gives his shoulder a small squeeze.

“Legend,” He whispers, giving him a light shake. The effect is immediate, Legend’s eyes snapping open and his hand gripping Time’s wrist hard enough to leave a bruise.

“Get the fuck away from me,” Legend hisses, a feral gleam in his clouded eyes. Time tightens his hold on Legend’s shoulder.

“Not until you’re with me,” Time replies, stern. Legend glares him down, and Time returns it with his head held high. After a moment, Legend snaps out of whatever trance he was in and relinquishes his hold on Time with a growl. He scrubs his face with his other hand while muttering under his breath. Time leans back to give him some space,

“Legend—”

“Whatever you’re going to fucking say, don’t bother, Time,” Legend snaps. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Time frowns. “That’s not—”

But Legend is already pulling on his boots, his fingers shaking as he does so. He snatches up his sword and stalks out of camp.

“I’m going on a walk,” He tells Time over his shoulder.

Time sighs when he’s gone, resuming his watch. He isn’t exactly surprised by Legend’s reaction, but more of the flippant, angry tone he used when addressing Time. Legend is certainly prickly, but he at least regards the others with some respect.

_Must’ve been some nightmare,_ his thoughts whisper. _You used to get like that too._

Time spends the rest of his watch glaring up at the full moon.

* * *

_The bones crack beneath his feet as he digs them into the ground in an attempt to rip free from the cold, white hand currently latched onto his face. The skin gives way underneath his nails as he scrabbles to pry the hand off. He can hear **it** shuffle closer, can hear its ghastly groans and the shifting bones under its skin. He struggles, but the nails only dig into his face, effectively trapping him, lest his face be ripped off._

_But that wasn’t too much of a concern, considering the monster now leaning over him, its face stretched out in a silent, agonized scream. His limbs freeze. He can’t move. The hand digs its nails in even more, tearing at his cheeks and trying to pull off his carefully constructed mask. Something is shaking his shoulder. **It** leans in closer, and he can tell because of the rotten smell of its body, its ragged breathing, the shaking in his shoulder—_

_That’s not right._

_“Time!” **It** wails in that bone-chilling voice. “Wake up!”_

_He flails around desperately, trying to grab anything that could possibly help in fending **it** off, but all his weapons are gone, and nothing is within arm’s reach._

_“Wake up!” **It** screams, “Wake up!”_

“Time!”

Time’s eye flies open, and he lets out a strangled gasp. He bolts upright, knocks his head into someone else’s, and presses his hand to his newest reason to have a headache with a groan.

“Fuck, Time,” Legend gripes, clutching at his forehead, “Son of a bitch!”

“Sorry,” Time grunts. Legend waves him off.

“It’s whatever. I probably deserve it.”

Time frowns, but Legend turns away with a huff. The sun is just beginning to rise, so he decides to get up for the day. There is still time before the others need to wake.

Just him and Legend, it seems.

Legend sits with his back to the campsite, scanning the tree line. Time sits beside him, facing the camp and watching the sunrise. Neither speak, Time not wanting to disturb the quiet that comes with the early dawn, and Legend simply not talkative at the moment.

But Time is a patient man. He might not be able to read Legend as well as the others, but he knows his morning companion has something on his mind. He sees it in the way Legend won’t directly look at Time unless he has to, the glimpses of guilt in his eyes Time has occasionally caught sight of in the last couple of days.

The sun peeks over the horizon when Legend lets out a sigh. “I’m sorry for being a dick.”

Ah. There it is.

Time raises an eyebrow, even though Legend can’t see it. “When were you being a dick?” He asks.

“Don’t play dumb, Time,” Legend scoffs, “You were just trying to help, and I lashed out. I’m sorry.”

So, this is about the nightmare Legend had. Time chuckles, earning an elbow to his side.

“Hey,” Legend growls, “I’m trying to be nice!”

“No, no,” Time laughs, “I’m not trying to be mean. I just think it’s funny you feel the need to apologize for that.”

“And why is that?” Legend grumbles. “Because I certainly can’t see any logical reason as to why.”

“Well,” Time begins, his chuckles dying down, “you had a bad dream, and you were spooked when I woke you up. I’ve been there many times before. I really wasn’t expecting a good reaction to begin with.”

“That doesn’t excuse my actions,” Legend replies.

“Maybe not,” Time agrees. “But my point is that I understand why you reacted the way you did.”

Legend doesn’t say anything. Time chances a glance at him to see his companion’s eyes narrowed in thought.

“Y’know, Time,” Legend hums after a moment, “for a cranky old man, you can be surprisingly considerate.”

“And for a prickly, supposedly detached veteran, you can be surprisingly affectionate,” Time shoots back.

“Affectionate? When am I affectionate?”

“Well, for one, right now. Or, did you _not_ notice that your head has been on my shoulder this entire time?”

He earns another elbow to his side, but Legend doesn’t pull away.

* * *

“Wild’s Hyrule has the best spots for fishing,” Wind chirps as he casts his line into the lake.

“It’s a shame he was never taught how to fish… properly,” Time replies, and Wind sends him a look that’s _far_ too exasperated for someone his age to have the talent to pull.

“Yeah! His way reminds me of Aryll when we were younger.”

_As if you’re older now,_ Time thinks in amusement. Instead of saying that out loud, he elects to take a safer route: “You’ve mentioned her a couple times before. She’s your sister, right?”

“Yup!” Wind nods. “My younger sister!”

“It’s interesting that you’re the only one with a sibling,” Time hums. “I had the other Kokiri children, of course, and they’re my family without a doubt, but to have a sibling? That’s a topic I’m not very familiar with.”

Wind grins up at him as Time casts his own line. “We are always there for each other. We’re all we have, and Grandma of course. My first adventure was centered around saving her from the Helmaroc King and keeping her safe. Saving the world just kinda happened along the way.”

“Amazing what love can do, isn’t it?” Time chuckles.

“Yeah,” Wind agrees, a fond smile on his face. “Aryll is my baby sister. She means everything to me.”

Time wonders what it would have been like to have a sibling alongside him as he grew up. Would he have been less lonely back when he lived with the Kokiri? Would they have helped him on his journeys? Would they have tried to protect him if they were older? Would he have protected them fiercely, just as Wind did with his sister, if they were younger?

It’s strange not knowing something so seemingly simple.

“Though,” Wind continues, snapping Time from his thoughts, “we annoyed the _shit _out of each other most of the time.”

Time barks out a laugh, “Really?”

Wind nods sagely. “Oh yeah. She used to do what Wild does to me, so she could scare all the fish away. I used to put bugs in her bed right before bedtime. She used to cut holes in my clothes. I used to throw her in the ocean.” He shakes his head. “And the _arguing_! We would go on for _hours_ if Grandma didn’t stop us! I feel so bad for her. We always gave her a hard time.”

Time is full on laughing at this point. For Wind to go from gushing about how much he loves his sister to describing all the ways they irritated the other just tickles him. He had nothing like this with the Kokiri, as most of them didn’t go out of their way to interact with him and he had been a shy kid. Saria was the only one who willingly gave him attention.

And Mido, but Mido was very much unwanted.

Wind giggles alongside him, leaning against Time and protesting when Time reaches down to ruffle his hair. “We still do, but we don’t fight nearly as often anymore. I guess we really realized that being there for each other when we could be taken away at any moment is more important than getting revenge for some dumb reason.”

“Makes me wish I had siblings,” Time muses, and Wind throws him that overly exasperated look again, eliciting another laugh from Time.

“She can’t be that bad,” Time says.

Wind grins. “Oh no, not at all. But be careful what you wish for.”

_Now what_, Time wonders as his fishing rod begins jerking in his hands, _is **that** supposed to mean?_

* * *

Time hasn’t known the other heroes very long—as it’s only been about a month since they have met at this point in time—but he has noticed that Twilight always gives him these odd looks from time to time. He doesn’t know why, as Twilight never brings it up and Time doesn’t want to pry, but it’s starting to worry him.

So, one evening, Time invites Twilight to help him gather firewood while the others set up camp. Only when Time is sure they are out of earshot of the rest, does he turn to Twilight.

“Alright,” He huffs, and Twilight freezes. “Calm down, I’m not here to scold you. I just want to ask you something.”

“Okay,” Twilight replies, relaxing.

“Is there any reason you keep looking at me like I have two heads?” Straight to the point seems like it would be the simplest way.

Twilight blinks, and then to Time’s surprise, _blushes_. “Er… you noticed?”

“You’re not as slick as you think you are, Wolfie,” Time says.

“You know about that too?” Twilight yelps. Time laughs.

“I’m gonna be honest with you: I’m more surprised the _rest_ of the group hasn’t figured it out yet. Now, back to the subject at hand.” Time motions for Twilight to speak, grinning when Twilight splutters and fidgets where he stands.

“Well,” he starts, and then pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing, “you remind me of someone important to me. Your voice, the way you move, the way you fight, it’s just… so familiar.”

“Understandable,” Time concedes. He is prepared to drop it there, but then Twilight mutters something he can’t make out. “Pardon?”

“I also have strong evidence that suggests we’re related,” Twilight says so quickly, Time almost doesn’t catch it. It takes him a minute to process, but then Time nods.

“Well, all of us are related if you think about it. We all share the Spirit of Cou--”

“No,” Twilight interrupts, “Not—not like that. As in… _related_. Like…” Twilight waves a hand in the space between them. “… family,” he finishes, avoiding Time’s gaze and fidgeting some more.

Time stares at him, and Twilight, horribly awkward, appears to be rather interested in the grass.

Family? As in…

It clicks.

Twilight’s hair is choppy just like his, though it is far more fluffy. He has Malon’s nose, he has Time’s hands. He has her eyes, and he has Time’s height. Twilight twiddles his thumbs, his blush darkening as Time stares, and all he can see is himself doing the _exact same thing_ when he first realized his feelings for Malon went far beyond friendship.

“Holy shit,” Time breathes. Twilight chuckles nervously.

“Yeah…” he mumbles, but Time isn’t paying attention to that whatsoever.

_Children,_ his mind screams, _I’m going to have children of my own! Malon and I—we—we’re going to raise **children**!_

Time laughs, giddy, excited, _genuinely happy_. “I’m going to have kids. Holy shit, she’s going to—_holy shit_!”

“Uh, Time?” Twilight raises his hands, as if he is going to reach out and steady Time.

As if he is going to get the _chance._

Time surges forward and flings his arms around Twilight, who lets out a squeak in reply. He gathers Twilight close, the warmth in his chest flowing into every inch of his body. Twilight is warm and alive and _his!_

“I’m going to have a family,” Time laughs, “You’re my descendent! You’re…” Something _else _clicks. “You’re my descendent…”

Time immediately pulls back, grabbing the very thoroughly startled Twilight by the shoulders and giving him a little shake. “You’re my descendent, and you’re here! What happened on your journey? You’re not horrifically traumatized, are you?”

“Wha—_no_!” Twilight splutters, reaching up to grip Time’s forearms without seemingly realizing it. It makes his heart swell that much more despite the worry. “I’m _fine_! It was a little scary at times, but aside from a few nightmares here and there, I’m fine.”

Time eyes him critically for a moment, relishing in the way Twilight twitches under his gaze like the awkward boy he is, and then gives him a decisive nod, relinquishing his hold on Twilight’s shoulders.

“Good. It’s bad enough you had to even go out and save the world to begin with, Pup.”

“Pup?” Twilight asks, tilting his head like the inspiration behind his nickname.

Time smirks. “Well, I _would_ call you son, but I have a feeling you don’t want anyone else to know.”

Twilight’s face reddens even more.

“Then again,” Time continues without missing a beat. “Maybe I should be calling you grandson? Just how far are you down the family line anyway?”

“You’re _impossible_,” Twilight groans, covering his face with his hands, but Time can hear the smile in his voice. “How do you even know I’m your _descendant_, and not the other way around?”

“Well, your reactions, for one,” Time replies with an even bigger smirk. “And trust me, I can see myself _and _my wife in you, now that I know to look for it.”

Twilight perks up, peeking out from behind his hands.

“No, I’m not going to tell you about her.”

“Why not?” He protests, embarrassment forgotten.

“Because with all this teleporting and time-traveling, you might get the chance to meet her yourself.”

He blinks. “Oh.”

“Now, back to my earlier question; how far down the family line are you?”

Twilight shrugs. “At least several centuries. I’ve read about you before, but all the documents are so old, we don’t know the exact dates anymore.”

_Several centuries!_

It is safe to say that Time and Twilight take _far_ more time than what is deemed necessary to gather up firewood for the night. Through all the questioning and giddiness, Time forgets that bit where Twilight mentioned his general gait reminded him of someone important.

He doesn’t know that Twilight is beyond relieved that it slipped Time’s mind.

* * *

Time finds Wild a good hike away from the campsite. Surprisingly enough, Wild is in an open field, not bothering to turn his head when he hears Time approach. He continues to observe the clear, night sky as Time sits down next to him with a sigh. He is cradling a bright yellow stone in his arms.

“No matter where I am,” Wild murmurs when Time gets himself situated, “the stars are always the same. The time, the place, it doesn’t matter.”

“It’s nice to know some things don’t change,” Time replies, following Wild’s gaze. Sure enough, Time can spy familiar constellations among the stars, despite being in Hyrule’s time.

Wild hums in reply, toying with the fragment in his hands. ”They… they were all I had for a long time.” He chuckles, “Well, and Twilight of course, but I had to travel around so much… and without anything to my name. It was… nice, to have something familiar everywhere I went—everywhere I _go_.”

Wild turns to him then, a small smile on his face. He holds out the fragment. “And now, I have you all with me.”

Time takes it, the fragment surprisingly cool in his hands. How daunting Wild’s task must have been when he first started out. To know nothing of the world, and to be given a seemingly impossible task.

Then again, Time was in a similar situation. He didn’t have memory loss, but he _did_ have zero knowledge of the world he lives in.

“My comfort was always the trees,” Time replies. “My earliest years were spent in the forest, so when it got too hard, and when I needed to get my bearings, a single tree was all I needed.” Time brushes his and Wild’s shoulders together, rolling the fragment that’s in his hands. “And then I met my wife, and then I met you boys.”

Wild leans against him. “We keep so many secrets from each other, but I trust you all with my life. I’ve never been able to do that with _anyone_, aside from Twilight. The stars have nothing on you guys.”

Time chuckles, slinging an arm around Wild’s shoulders. “Well, I take comfort in knowing that we all look up at the same sky. It’s a good reminder that we’re all connected, even with the conflicting time periods.”

Wild hums in agreement, resuming his watch on the stars high above them. Time, however, finds himself looking at Wild. Wild was one of the few heroes who was older when his journeying began, but he easily had the worst start of them all. He died before he truly began.

And on his journey, lost, confused, scared even, Wild had nothing but a friendly wolf and maybe a few kind faces. Time can clearly envision Wild, battered, tired, and maybe injured, refusing to find some kind of shelter and instead lying out under the stars, seeking any comfort he can from something that won’t push him to complete his task.

Time would know. He did the exact same thing but with trees.

He pulls Wild just a little closer and asks about the glowing fragment. They spend the rest of the night swapping stories, losing track of time and nearly giving poor Twilight a heart attack when he couldn’t find them in the morning.

* * *

“I wish I had Lynels in my own time period,” Time grumbles as Hyrule examines the deep gash in his side. He gives Time an odd look.

“Why?” Hyrule asks.

“So that way I would know how to _fight_ the damn things.”

“It’s not worth it, Time!” Legend calls from where he is helping Twilight treat Wild’s wounds.

“It’s really not,” Hyrule agrees. “Now, hold still.”

Hyrule holds out his left hand, fingers just barely touching Time’s skin. A white light envelops his injury, the pain fading to a slight tingle in his side. Time has never been too curious in the art of performing magic, but Hyrule is an oddity that sticks out to him. From what Time has seen, and from what he can see in this very moment, Hyrule has never needed an item to assist in casting magic. He simply… does it, as if using magic is no different than walking.

He must look curious, because Hyrule shoots him a knowing smile.

“I didn’t know I had the ability to wield magic until my second adventure,” Hyrule explains. “From what I’ve been told, using magic naturally is a talent passed down from parent to child.”

“Really?” Time raises an eyebrow, watching his skin mend itself under the glow. It’s interesting in a morbid kind of way. “I’ve never heard of that.”

Hyrule snorts, “It’s not exactly common knowledge in my time period. None of the wizards who taught me the spells ever said anything about it. It was only when I asked Princess Zelda the Younger, did I learn that magic isn’t just available to anyone.”

“Your parents never told you?” Time asks.

Hyrule shrugs, suddenly quiet. Time sees the light in his eyes dull. “I never… _had _parents, I guess. I mean, I _did_, but I never knew them. They might’ve abandoned me, they might’ve lost me, I don’t know. I just… never had a parent in my life. I’ve always fended for myself, until Impa told me to save the Princess one day, and now I’m a hero?”

Time nods. “That’s how it went for me, for the most part.”

Hyrule perks up, though his eyes look a little cloudy. “Really?” He asks in a slightly slurred voice.

“Yeah,” Time says slowly. “Are you okay?”

Hyrule jerks his head in a nod, but he sways from where he sits.

“Hyrule, knock it off!” Legend stomps over with a potion in his hand. Hyrule winces, looking like a child being scolded for trying to sneak an extra snack. Time can’t help but chuckle at the thought as Legend all but shoves the potion into Hyrule’s hands. When he doesn’t immediately drink it, Legend levels him with a stern glare.

“He always pushes himself too hard with his magic,” he explains to Time as Hyrule begrudgingly uncorks the bottle and takes a swig of the liquid inside, his face scrunching up in disgust at the taste.

When Hyrule has finished the concoction, Legend takes his bottle back and, with one last pointed glare, spins around on his heel and walks back over to Twilight and Wild.

“I don’t know, Hyrule,” Time snickers, “I think you’ve activated Legend’s parental instincts.”

Hyrule rolls his eyes. “Tell me about it!” He moves away to dig around in his bag, fishing out a needle and thread alongside some gauze. Time bites back a groan. Stitches are more annoying than they’re worth.

Maybe he should have been more careful.

“You said you never knew your parents either?” Hyrule asks as he begins stitching what’s left of Time’s wound.

“I knew of my mother,” Time says, “but there was very little information about her. All I know is that she fled into the Lost Woods with me when I was a newborn and died. The Great Deku Tree realized who I was and raised me alongside the Kokiri. He was probably the closest thing I had to a parental figure, but he also died when I was nine years old. I never learned anything about my biological father.

“However, I believe my father also gave his life to protect both me and my mother. I might not have known them, but they sacrificed everything down to their very lives to protect me.” He catches Hyrule’s gaze and holds it, making sure he is paying attention before he continues, “And I suspect your parents did the same for you. Or perhaps they believed separating you from them would ultimately help you. I can’t say for certain, but I doubt they just upped and abandoned you.”

Hyrule nods, a small smile on his face at Time’s words. “Yeah,” he murmurs, “Maybe they didn’t.”

* * *

_Wait… wait…_

Time forcibly keeps his stance lax as the Bokoblin scuttles closer and closer. _Wait…_

They had been ambushed minutes earlier, but their enemies, so far, have not been difficult to fight. It is a great opportunity to practice some of the skills he had started developing before he had been whisked away on another adventure. This one in particular, Time is not so keen to practice in some of their more serious battles.

_Wait… **Now!**_

In a flash, Time draws his sword and, spinning to gain momentum, slashes the monster open from its left shoulder all the way down to its right hip. It crumbles to the ground, and Time grins as he turns to deal with the rest of the monsters.

He spots Warriors gaping at him, and Time has to shout for him to pay attention, lest he be injured. The battle ends rather quickly after that, and Time is immediately cornered by Warriors as the others began cleaning their gear and checking for injuries.

“What the hell was that?” Warriors shouts, a wide smile on his face.

“Hm?”

“That crazy sword slash you did!” Warriors continues. “How did you do that?”

“Oh, that?” Time asks, nonchalant as he pulls out a cloth to clean his sword. “It’s a trick I’ve been working on.”

“You never had any tricks back when you helped me out!”

“That was _years_ ago,” Time laughs.

Warriors rolls his eyes but is unperturbed as he stands before Time practically vibrating with excitement. “You gotta teach me!”

“Absolutely not,” Time states, giving Warriors a stern look.

The captain deflates immediately. “Why not?”

“Because that particular skill is very dangerous to pull off,” Time explains. “I’m not going to teach you something that could get you killed if you’re not careful!”

Warriors opens his mouth.

“_No_,” Time interrupts. “I know for a _fact _you won’t be careful. That’s not in your nature, Twink.”

“I told you not to call me that!” Warriors protests, crossing his arms with a huff. Time smirks.

“And since when have I ever listened to you?”

“Fucking never!” Warriors complains. “You were such a little shit, and you _still are!_”

“I think I’m taller,” Time defends with a grin as Warriors throws his arms up.

“A ridiculously tall little shit who keeps changing the subject!” Warriors jabs a finger at him. “If you won’t teach me that move, what _will _you teach me?”

“Nothing,” Time deadpans.

“What?” Warriors yells in outrage.

“Nothing,” Time repeats. “Because I haven’t fully developed any of them yet. I can’t train someone skills I don’t even completely understand.”

“Kiddie, I swear—” Warriors interrupts himself with his own spluttering, beginning to pace and flail his arms around as he tries to formulate a coherent response.

_Never change, Twink._

“That’s a load of bullshit,” Warriors finally says. “You _have _to have mastered at least _one_!”

Time hums, raising a hand to his chin and pretending to contemplate. Warriors glares at him as he does, which only serves to amuse Time even further.

“Well,” Time begins, drawing out the word in hopes of provoking Warriors even further. He swears he sees his eye twitch. “I do have _one_ move I could potentially teach you.”

Just like that, the sour expression on Warriors’ face lifts, replaced with that giddy excitement once more. “Really? What is it? Can we start now?”

“Slow down,” Time chuckles. “No, we can’t start now, we still have to find a spot to camp. And I can only really teach you if we happen to encounter any more monsters.”

“Aw,” Warriors mutters.

“Another time,” Time promises, clapping Warriors’ shoulder. “Now, go clean yourself up. I don’t think letting the blood dry on your scarf is going to be any different from last time.”

Warriors yelps and scurries off, shouting about finding a river while cradling the part of the fabric not around his neck in his arms.

_Never change._

* * *

Time kicks the door shut, shucking off his armor and weapon and kicking off his shoes as fast as he possibly can. He leaves them in a scattered pile by the door, but he couldn’t care any less at this point as he scrambles to climb the stairs. Halfway up, he remembers how dirty he is, and it takes every ounce of willpower to turn around and wash up and change before barging into the bedroom. Why deliveries to Castle Town always ended up with him getting so filthy, he will never know.

When he finally opens the door, Malon is lying in the bed, propped up by the absurd amount of pillows Time had wrangled into the house beforehand. She looks up from the bundle in her arms and gives him an amused, but sweet, smile. Time carefully sits down beside her, giving her a kiss as he situates himself.

Malon passes him the bundle without a word, and Time, as gentle as possible, gathers his daughter against his chest as she peers up at him with big blue eyes. He tucks a curly lock of orange hair behind her ear, and his heart swells with an indescribable warmth as she reaches up with pudgy fingers to latch onto his finger. He rocks her as Malon rests her head against his shoulders, linking their arms together and watching with eyes full of adoration.

Having a child, here, in his arms, has completely changed Time’s view of the world. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for her, for starters. He wants to see her discover the world around her, like Sky did back on their journey across time. He wants to see the same fascination in her eyes when Time shows her the animals around the farm for the first time, or when he takes her to Castle Town when she is older, or hell, even when winter rolls around and she discovers snow for the first time.

He wants to tell her stories, about his adventures, about meeting Malon, about the legends and myths surrounding both his name and their country. He wants her to experience that same wonder Time had felt when Four told him about the Minish. He wants to hope they exist, if only for her to discover them and learn what it means to be kind from others.

“_With golden string…_”

He wants to be there for her through the thick and thin of her life. He wants to be a constant comfort, even if she is fed up with him and screams at him to go away like Legend did when he had that nightmare. He wants her to know she will never be alone in life, that she will always have family to fall back on in life.

He wants her to have more than him and Malon. Perhaps siblings to be there for her, like how Wind has Aryll. Even if that means chaos throughout their little home every waking hour of every day—and then some—the idea of it being _possible_… He practically craves it. A wonderful prospect that is _more_ than possible, and he knows Malon will be overjoyed at the idea.

“_Our universe was brought to life…_”

He wants her to have children of her own one day. Hylia knows he had been ecstatic when Twilight first brought up their bloodline to him. He wants her to experience this frankly magical moment in her lifetime with a loved one beside her. He wants to spoil both her and her future children _rotten_.

He wants her to always have a rock to lean on in life, whether that’s himself, Malon, whoever or whatever. Just like how he had the trees, and Wild had the stars, he wants her to be able to know that it gets better, and that she can overcome anything if she just puts her mind to it. She has the world at her fingertips, she just has to reach out and grasp it.

“_That we may fall in love…”_

He wants to guide her every step of the way, despite knowing he won’t always be there in a physical form. He wants to be the parent he never had, the parent Hyrule never had. He wants to nurture her and watch her grow and grow, and he wants to memorize every moment of it, forever immortalized in his memory.

He wants to teach her his wisdom, his experience, his mistakes, his _journey_. He wants her to grow up with everything Time can give her, just like how he had taught a few skills to Warriors before their adventure came to an end. He wants to make sure she is fully prepared to face the world when she inevitably leaves the safety of their nest to build a life of her own.

“_Every time we open up our eyes._”

_But most of all_, he thinks as he leans down to bump his nose to his daughter’s and hums the last few notes of the lullaby, _I want to love her with every fiber of my being._

**Author's Note:**

> *cries*  
This got so fluffy and so sappy and MY HEART!!  
This totally makes up for my last fic LOL  
The lyrics Time was singing at the end are from the song Sun, by Sleeping at Last.  
Go listen to it. Seriously. It's such a good song. Even if you know the song, go listen to it anyway.  
The very first idea I had for this fic was the very end. No joke. I had nothing else, but I scrambled to my computer and I made an OUTLINE. I have never made an outline before LOL!  
I hope you enjoyed!


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